Gohan: Reborn
by Deadman19
Summary: Broly has been defeated, but only barely. Gohan decides to stop wasting time and to truly take up the mantle his father left for him, and just in time for the World Martial Arts Tournament. Gohan will finally realize his true potential and just in time to face a dangerous enemy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own DB/DBZ/GT/Super!**

A figure blasted through the sky at impossible speeds. He was flying so fast that someone looking at the sky wouldn't even notice his passing. However, it was a good thing though that flying didn't take much concentration because Son Gohan was deep in thought as he flew, a bag of training clothes slung over his shoulder as he made his way to Kami's lookout. _I should've been strong enough to beat him. If I were as strong as I was when I beat Cell, Broly would've been nothing!_ Gohan grit his teeth. He'd let himself go, badly. Seven years of not training will do that to you. _Seven years of sitting on my butt reading when I could've been making myself stronger! Dad gave ME the mantle of protecting the Earth and I haven't been preparing. What if something worse than Broly comes along? If not for that freak accident with the Dragonballs partially bringing Dad back for that moment, Goten and I would be dead along with Trunks and Videl!_

Mercifully Videl had not seen the majority of his fight with Broly so she still didn't know about him being the gold fighter, still didn't know about his Saiyan heritage. _The heritage I've been letting rot while I prepare for tests that I could've passed in my sleep! Well no more!_ Gohan was determined to be ready for the tournament that was starting in just over 24 hours. It would be plenty of time. Gohan looked to see the lookout up ahead and slowed himself to land on the platform where his former mentor Piccolo was waiting.

"What brings you to the lookout kid?" Piccolo stared out over the Earth. Gohan could almost feel the disappointment in those words.

"I almost lost." Gohan didn't have to elaborate. Piccolo had been watching the whole thing. The only reason he hadn't stepped in is because he knew it was a lesson Gohan needed to learn. "You did. I won't bust your chops over it again seeing as you're here to rectify that."

Gohan nodded. "I am. I won't be caught unawares again."

Piccolo smiled in approval. "Good. Dende's waiting for us. Follow me." Even though Gohan knew where he was to go he followed without objection. _Some things never change._ Piccolo proved correct when they came upon Dende outside of the room of spirit and time alongside Mr. Popo. Dende had a worried look on his face. "Are you sure you want to do this alone Gohan?" Gohan ignored the fact that they knew already what he was going to do. Piccolo probably heard the argument he had with his mom and went ahead and made preparations. _Good old Piccolo._ Gohan thought fondly. Of course, Dende being Kami probably didn't hurt much.

The room of Spirit and Time, or the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where one day in the normal world was one year inside the chamber, was a daunting thing to endure. It had been hard enough when he was 10 going inside with his Dad. Going in by himself would be twice as hard especially since he wasn't sure about his stamina. But Gohan was determined. "I have to do this Dende. Not just for the future of this planet, but for me. I have to prove to myself that I can do it."

Dende smiled and shook his head. "You're definitely a Saiyan."

Gohan allowed himself a small smile at that and, with an approving nod from Piccolo, he walked inside. With a click the door shut and he was alone for a year. His mother hadn't been happy with his decision, but she had understood. Videl had been even less understanding, wondering why he couldn't take her to this special training place. Gohan blushed at the thought of being inside the time chamber alone with her. Of course, he couldn't explain what the time chamber was without possibly giving away his secret but that was looking more and more to be a futile effort. _I'll have to tell her at some point._ Gohan shook those thoughts away and put everything where it needed to go while he thought up his training plan.

He walked out from the main platform into the emptiness a way out before he took a stance and powered up to Super Saiyan. With effort he drew on his inner power and tried to ascend. It was difficult. More so than he thought it would be and he had to draw on his anger from the past to do it but in the end, he succeeded. Gohan didn't feel successful though. He was angry at himself. "Damn it I really have let myself go!" He clenched his fist in anger before shaking himself. He didn't have time for this and so, with a breath, he began his warm up.

Meanwhile at Capsule Corp, the home of the Briefs, Vegeta trained in the gravity chamber Dr. Briefs had built for him. Trunks had been training with him but Bulma had called him away so that she could further show him how Capsule Corp worked. Vegeta wasn't a fool. He knew that eventually, Bulma would give control of the company to Trunks just as her father had done to her. He was fine with it, as long as Trunks kept up with his training. Thinking of what Kakarot's son had done, not training all these years. Irritated him immensely. He had all that power and that natural ability and yet he squandered it! It made his blood boil and with a shout of anger he sent a Ki blast out that destroyed the controls. "Damn." He'd have to get Dr. Briefs to fix it later. With a grunt he powered down to his base form and grabbed a towel as he made his way to the kitchen. He walked to see Bulma munching on an apple as she read over some report or other. "Where's the boy?" He asked casually.

"Off at Goten's house." Bulma shrugged.

"Hn." Vegeta opened the fridge and started piling things onto his plate. With a roll of her eyes, Bulma grabbed it and sent him to sit. While she was preparing his meal, Vegeta sat in thought. "Is Kakarot's other son there?"

"You mean Gohan? Actually, Chi Chi made mention of him going to train. I think she mentioned Kami's lookout but I'm not sure what he could do there to get ready for…unless he's using the- "

"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber." Vegeta said with a smirk. "He's finally taking his training serious again."

"Yeah, I think that run in with that Broly guy scared him."

Vegeta nodded in agreement. He hadn't gone because he wanted to see if Gohan could handle it. He had however, almost gone when he had felt Trunk's energy drop dangerously low but then Broly's presence had disappeared. He scarcely believed the younger son of Kakarot when he told him that Kakarot himself had shown up. Gohan had confirmed it though, saying that the eternal dragon had brought him back for a moment so they could overwhelm Broly. As irritated as Vegeta was that he had missed his chance at Kakarot, he ignored that and proceeded to take Gohan to task for allowing himself to get so weak. Gohan had been ashamed enough on his own but Vegeta could care less. "How dare you squander the power that your Saiyan DNA gives you!" He had told him. It seemed Gohan had taken his words to heart.

"How much training can Gohan really get in a year though that will make a difference? He can't spar with himself in there." Bulma thought aloud.

That's exactly what Gohan was doing however. He utilized the multiform technique as he fought himself. It had felt like he had been in the chamber for 6 months so far but he knew it could only have been a few hours. In that time, he had mastered his Super Saiyan 2 form and currently was working on making his base form as strong as possible. Super Saiyan in and of itself was only a power multiplier so mastering Super Saiyan would do no good if his base form was weak. And so, he trained and fought himself to grow his base form so that his Super Saiyan forms would be as strong as possible. The odd thing was, when he was in his Super Saiyan 2 form, he almost felt as if he could go higher. Gohan ignored that for the time being though, continuing to block attacks from his clone, improving his blocking and dodging skills that he had never properly developed when he was younger. _Piccolo would be proud of my dodging now._ Gohan smirked to himself.

After a few more hours of dodging and blocking, Gohan halted the training and ended the multiform move. With only himself now he stood silent, searching within himself for that power he had felt before. His hair had grown while he had been there, growing to his shoulders. The tail that had grown back within the first month of training waved idly. Suddenly Gohan tensed and, with a yell, transformed straight into Super Saiyan 2. He knew he was much stronger than he had been against Cell now. So much so that he could feel the power underneath his skin. He got into a stance that he normally used to power up and began to yell as he gathered his power. It swelled around him as he brought more and more power to bear. His hair began to spike higher and then grow longer down his back as he continued to power up. He didn't even realize that the room was shaking. Those outside on the lookout noticed though.

"What's going on in there?!" Dende yelled as the lookout trembled with Gohan's power. "We shouldn't be feeling it from in there!" Piccolo looked on in awe before it was replaced with a smirk. "Hn. It's about time kid."

Back at Capsule Corp, Vegeta was out on the lawn looking out into the distance. He could feel the boy's power. He smirked but then the smirk turned into gritted teeth. This meant that the boy was even stronger then him, again! He looked back and thought of training some more but knew it would do no good. The gravity chamber was still broken and training now could only potentially cause more harm then good. "Hn, oh well." Vegeta turned and went back inside. At least he would get a chance at Kakarot at the tournament. With a smirk, Vegeta walked back in and decided he'd see how receptive Bulma would be to having a little fun that night. He wasn't worried. He was good at persuading her when her work seemed to get the best of her. It was odd really, Vegeta had never seen himself as a family man and yet here he was. He wasn't disappointed though. He found himself happier than he had ever been, more than he had ever thought himself deserving of. Of course, he'd never admit that out loud.

Back inside the chamber, Gohan wasn't finished as his power continued to swell, his eyebrows disappearing into his head until, with one last scream, he was done. Gohan stood for a moment as everything calmed back down. He surveyed himself. His hair had grown down to the back of his knees. His eyebrows were gone but Gohan wasn't worried about that. "Oh, wow this is strong! Huh, think I'll call it Super Saiyan 3." He nodded to himself before splitting into the multiform and began to test himself. An hour later though and he was spent. "Man, this form doesn't have a lot of stamina. Must be due to the power output. Oh well, I'll just have to get used to it the way I did with the other 2 forms." He wondered how many potential forms of super Saiyan there were. Was there a limit at all to how strong a Saiyan could get?! "And I've just been letting it rot inside of me for the last 7 years." Gohan said bitterly before getting hit in the face by his clone. Instantly retaliating, Gohan kept up his guard and kept his mind focused on the task at hand. He had to stop at some point however, as he finally dropped back to his basic form, exhausted. He ended the multiform and made his way back to the main platform. "Don't need to over do this new form." Gohan smirked despite his exhaustion. He wondered if his dad had found Super Saiyan 3 in Otherworld. "Knowing dad, probably. That means I'll have to train even harder. Surely if he's found it then he's mastered it by now."

In Otherworld, Goku stood on King Kai's new planet, excitement bubbling in himself as he looked over his new form. "Man, King Kai this is powerful! I can feel the energy under my skin." Goku had just unlocked Super Saiyan 3. "Of course, I won't be able to use this form in the tournament. Powering up would take too long."  
"It'd also use up a lot of the time you'll have on Earth. Remember Goku, the more energy you use, the faster your time will slip away."

"Don't be silly King Kai, it doesn't work like that at all, at least, not in this case."

"Oh, hey Fortune Teller Baba!" Goku exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" King Kai asked, confused.

"The higher power has decided to let Goku have a true 24-hour day. He says Goku earned it."

"Huh. Well if the Supreme Kai said it then we'll let it go without an issue. I still wouldn't advise using that form Goku. It takes a lot of energy so at least wait until you've mastered it before you start using it in too many fights."

"Gotcha King Kai! No problem!"

King Kai shook his head. _This guy is crazy! I always said he'd be the death of me…looks like I was right._ For the time being at least. His planet had been restored and, at some point soon, his halo would disappear again and he'd have a life to spare. King Kai had planned on using that life to give Goku back his. He knew that being dead and not being able to spend time with his family weighed on Goku. So, even though Goku would surely protest, he'd do it anyway because Goku deserved to live with his family. _"He'll have to wait a little longer though."_ King Kai thought with a sigh as he watched Goku test out his new form. He tuned in his senses toward Earth. He had felt when Gohan's energy had skyrocketed hours before. He knew then that Gohan had also reached that higher level. What was odd about it was that he seemed even stronger than Goku in that form. _Maybe not too odd though. That kid has always had a knack for getting stronger faster than Goku when he has a mind to do it._ Goku hadn't felt the energy spike because he was dead so he had no idea that his son was training again. _I think I'll let Gohan surprise him. Heh. That ought to be fun. Let him get surprised for once._

Back on the lookout, Piccolo looked almost nervous as he waited. _The kid is going to make us late for the tournament if he doesn't come out soon._ It made sense that Gohan would want to take as much time as he could to get back to form. But seeing as Gohan had apparently found a new form of Super Saiyan perhaps it wasn't out of the range of possibility that he may want to master the new form before emerging. _I doubt he'll need to use that new form in a human tournament but I suppose it couldn't hurt._ Suddenly, the door clicked open and piccolo turned to watch as his former student exited, very much a changed warrior. Gohan looked far more like a man than he had going in considering he had only been inside for a little over 24 hours. His hair had grown down to the middle of his back and his tail had grown back and was wrapped comfortably around his waist. "Hey Piccolo, sorry I took so long." His face looked sharper, more defined and his eyes held a confidence in them that Piccolo hadn't seen since his fight with Cell.

"Heh, it's alright kid. But we'd better get going or we'll be late." Piccolo tossed Gohan a sensu bean which he gratefully ate. The Namekian then held his palm out to Gohan and, after a moment's concentration, a bright light over took Gohan and, after it faded, Gohan had a clean, fresh gi on. It was reminiscent of the gi he had worn against Cell except it had a black under shirt on that had sleeves and he was wearing black boots. On his back was Piccolo's own symbol, a sign that Gohan had regained his former mentor's respect. Gohan smiled at the gesture. "Thanks Piccolo. Now, let's go!" And with that, they both leapt off of the Lookout as Dende and Popo waved and sped towards the tournament.

Back at the tournament site itself, Krillen, his wife 18, and their daughter Marron stood waiting alongside Roshi for the others to show up. Suddenly, Krillen spooted Chi Chi and Goten making their way through the gate along with Bulma, Trunks, and Vegeta who wore his trademark scowl. Krillen waved them over excitedly. "Krillen, is that you under all that hair?" Bulma asked disbelievingly.

"Ha ha very funny Bulma." Krillen replied sarcastically.

"Hmm, you've grown weaker since the last time we met baldy, is your humanity finally catching up with you?" Vegeta asked, his other trademark smug smile on his face.

"Again, very funny you guys." Krillen replied with an eyeroll.

18 decided she didn't want to be left out. "Hey Vegeta, how's the arm? Not still giving you trouble is it?"

Krillen had to forcefully hold the laughter in as Vegeta grit his teeth in irritation. "My arm is just fine as I'm sure you'll see you walking toaster."

Chi Chi chose that moment to step in. "Would you two stop it! Sheesh it's like you haven't been making the same childish insults towards each other for the last 7 years or something."

Vegeta just scowled and turned to look at the people milling about when a man in an orange gi and a halo over his head appeared right next to him, causing Vegeta to tense. "Damnit Kakarot why do you have to appear so close?"

"Sorry Vegeta!" Goku said as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I had to focus on your energy to get here from the check in station! Gohan isn't here yet so I couldn't use his energy."

"Goku?" The man in question turned to be met by the tearful eyes of his wife. Goku was not typically a man that understood emotions such as sadness. He also wasn't great at understanding relationships. But he had come to love Chi Chi and being separated from her for seven long years had been torture. He carefully embraced her, returning the kiss she bestowed on him before she backed away reluctantly to introduce the small child next to her. "This is your youngest son, Goten."

Goten looked up at his father in wonder. "Are you my daddy?"

Goku felt his heartbreak that Goten had even needed to ask that. "I am, son." And with that statement, Goten launched himself into Goku's arms in such a display that Trunks had needed to dry his eyes a little.

Not far away, Videl observed the scene. Gohan had told her that his dad was being allowed to come back from the dead, which she found unbelievable, for a day for the tournament. But seeing how the man had appeared out of nowhere combined with the halo over his head, Videl felt there wasn't much choice but to believe. _Where the heck is Gohan anyway?"_ She approached them as Goku asked that same question.

"He went off to train before the tournament." Chi Chi answered.

"Your brat let himself go rather badly these last seven years." Vegeta sneered.

Chi Chi looked as if she was going to respond when she spotted Videl. "Oh, hey Videl! I'm glad you were able to make it. Everyone this is Videl, a friend of Gohan's."

"Mom she's my friend too! And Trunk's friend!" Goten protested. Chi Chi smiled at her son.

Vegeta eyed the girl suspiciously. "Aren't you the child of that fool Hercule?"

"Vegeta! Be nice!" Bulma scolded.

"I am, what of it?" Videl challenged. This only caused Vegeta to smile but it elicited no verbal response.

What did however, was the power level they felt coming their way. Krillen whistled. "Man, I can't believe that's Gohan. What kind of training did he do to get that strong?"

Vegeta was staring off into the distance before he swore, loudly. "Fucking second place, again!" Videl barely heard him but his statement confused her. Krillen's statement about Gohan confused her in that she thought Gohan was strong already. She understood what sensing Ki was and was ready to badger Gohan to teach it to her as soon as possible.

"Oh, wow he is way stronger than he was seven years ago!" Goku stated. "If he had gotten as weak as you say Vegeta, the only way he could've improved this much is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. That's still a large jump though."

Videl was about to ask what he meant when the man in question landed 10 feet away next to a green skinned man in a turban and cape. She hardly recognized him though. If she had found Gohan cute before, she was nearly ready to salivate now. But again, she was confused. _How does someone change that fast? It was only a day ago that I saw him and now he looks completely different!_ It then clicked. _This time chamber place must be somewhere you can go for training in a short amount of time. I wonder what the ratio is? And how is that even possible?!_

"Hey guys, sorry we're a little late. I wanted to maximize my time in the chamber." Gohan then noticed his father who was standing with Goten in his arms, smiling encouragingly at him. "Dad." Gohan said, almost painfully. "It's been a while." By then, Goku had put Goten down and walked towards his oldest son. "Son. I'm so glad to see you, after all this time." And with that, they embraced. Gohan fought back tears. He had dreamt of this moment for so long. After a few moments they let go and back away a little. "Hey Dad, what do you say we all go fishing after this, if you have time?"

"That'd be great Gohan!" Goku exclaimed. Gohan smiled at that. _Today is going to be a great day._ Little did any of them know that there was a darkness ahead that they all had to be ready for. They may need to put that fishing trip on hold.

 **Hey so this has been floating around in my head for a while now. I want to clarify a few things. 1) Yes, I do believe that Gohan could have ascended to SS3 in 1 year of nonstop training. Afterall, when he and Goku trained 7 years earlier, Gohan went in not even smelling SS1 and came out with the ability to go SS2 even if he didn't know it at the time. So, it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could have went in this time barely at SS2 level and come out an SS3. Although I may have used a bit of that good old Fanfiction magic to make it happen in 6 months. 2) Yes, the tail is back and I may even go as far as Vegeta getting his back at some point. AT himself admitted that he just forgot they exist so it's also not out of the realm of possibility. 3) This isn't a story where I plan on crapping all over AT, but the guy is very inconsistent with his story writing. We know that there are several characters from DB that didn't make it into DBZ simply because AT forgot they existed (Launch anyone?). 4) No, I won't be able to update this a lot. It's going to be like my other stories where I update when I can in between school work and other stuff. So just be patient! 5) Obviously I'm acting as if The Great Saiyaman didn't exist. Gohan entered this tournament to face his father so nothing about any blackmailing from Videl will come up. 6) I also don't plan on sending Videl's character down the drain by the end of this story the way Super has done. Anyway, those are my main points I wanted to clear up before people asked them. But if you do have a question, simply leave it in a review and I will respond when I can. I hope you guys enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ!**

Videl watched on in amazement as Trunks and Goten fought each other in the final round. The way they fought was very different from when that Broly guy had ambushed them. Of course, they had been able to do little against the beast, they fought bravely. This time though it was a friendly fight. They both had wide grins on their faces as they went at each other.

Vegeta had a much different view. _The boy could use more training._ He could admit to himself to being a little proud of Trunks for the way he had carried himself thus far. _He'll make a powerful Super Saiyan one day._ Bulma had wanted to see if she and Chi Chi could push the boys into it early but had been quickly vetoed by the Prince. They were far too young to endure the anger it would take to achieve such a transformation. Not to mention the out of control rage that they would need to master. No, Vegeta had said, it was far better for them to earn it on their own when their bodies were ready for it. Bulma had been disappointed of course but he quickly put that to rest later that night. The memory of it brought a wolfish grin to the prince for a moment before he wiped it away in favor of his normal, indifferent scowl.

Eventually, Trunks won by ring out and got to punch Hercule in the face. Vegeta had actually laughed at that. _Watching MY son punch that buffoon into a wall is something that I will never forget._ Videl had been baffled by the strength that Trunks had shown, to knock her father out of the ring and into the arena wall must have taken some strength. After the wrap up ceremony, they were given an intermission to eat and then to meet in the courtyard outside to decide preliminaries. It was during lunch that Videl witnessed something straight out of a horror film. She had known Gohan could eat, but this was ridiculous! _Are they even breathing between bites!?_ She noticed Vegeta was a little calmer than Goku and Gohan were, but he was still plowing through food like it was about to get up and run away from him.

"Good Lord you Saiyans are relentless!" Exclaimed Krillin. Videl frowned. _What in the world is a Saiyan?_ The three bottomless pits did not respond to the short warrior and just kept eating. Eventually, they were done. Gohan and Goku had satisfied smiles on their faces while Vegeta wore his trademark scowl. "Where do they put it all?" Videl wondered out loud.

"Who knows." Piccolo answered as his walked past her, disgust evident on his face.

They made their way to the courtyard where two tournament officials awaited alongside the announcer and Hercule himself, a large bruise evident on his face that was barely concealed by make-up. Videl rolled her eyes at her father's vanity. They joined the group of fighters waiting. "Alright fighters, gather round! Instead of wasting time with preliminary rounds, we decided to use this punch machine. It will calculate the power of your punch and only the highest numbers get to fight. Since Hercule is the Champ, he is exempt from this challenge but he has agreed to do it to 'show you all how it's done'." The announcer winked at Goku who fought his own smirk. As Hercule made his way to the front of the machine in his arrogant swagger, Videl couldn't help but roll her eyes again. Her father was insufferably arrogant sometimes, all the time when he was in front of a camera. The Champ got into a stance and reared back. "Megaton punch!" he yelled and punched the machine which automatically calculated the strength of his punch to be 137. Gohan sweat dropped. They could all beat that, easily.

The announcer looked at the champ disbelieving. _That's it?_ Recovering his composure, the announcer had them all line up, doing his best to puff up Hercule's strength. Everyone agreed before hand that they would do just enough to qualify. Everyone except Vegeta who refused to hold back anything so it was agreed that he would go last. First up was 18 who, with her lightest tap, registered 203. The officials were stunned as she made her way inside. Next up was Krillin who registered a 186 followed by Goku's 198. Piccolo registered a 210. Videl, who had been in awe of the scores so far gave it her all, registering 160. _Oh wow, she's a lot stronger than her father. I know she's been training with me but we didn't really do that much. Maybe helping her access her ki is what has helped. I mean, she was stronger than her dad before but I didn't think it was that much of a difference. Of course, she probably trains a lot more than he does._ Gohan shook his thoughts as he stepped up. He took a breath to calm himself and got into a stance and, with his very lightest touch, scored 225. Videl was flabbergasted. _It didn't even look like he was trying!_ Vegeta then stepped up in irritation and, with a single punch, demolished the entire machine. Everyone looked on in shock and a little bit of fear as the flame haired Saiyan Prince made his way to the arena.

After the new machine was brought out and calibrated, the officials tested the few fighters who remained, the rest had fled after Vegeta's demonstration, and they made their way to draw who would be fighting who. On the way, they ran into two odd looking fighters. The shorter one wore a smirk as he spoke. "You must be Goku."

The air got a lot thicker. The tension was palpable. "Yeah, who's asking?"

"My name is Shin and this is Kibito. I look forward to facing you."

Vegeta huffed in annoyance as the two walked by. Piccolo's eyes were narrowed. "Man, they are strong." Krillin exclaimed.

"It's an illusion." Piccolo stated.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked.

"I mean he made it feel as if they were stronger than what they are. I doubt you'll even need Super Saiyan to beat them."

"Who are they Piccolo?" Gohan asked.

"The short one is the Supreme Kai. The taller one must be his assistant." Videl looked skeptically at the Nemekian warrior. Piccolo shot her a sideway glance. "I was once Kami of this world before I became whole. Don't ask it's a long story. But I remember them from my time as Kami."

Gohan almost face palmed. He'd definitely have to tell her everything now. Once they made it to the box to decide who was fighting who, they noticed that Shin and Kibito had already drawn. Goku shrugged and went to the box, drawing a number and handing it to the officials who wrote his name on the bracket. Next was Gohan who drew and was matched with Kibito. Piccolo went next and was matched with Shin. Krillin was matched with a fighter named Pintar, Videl was matched with a fighter named Spopovitch, 18 was matched with Hercule, and finally, Vegeta drew and was matched with Goku. "Holy Kami! Vegeta and Goku in the first round!" Gohan smirked as Goku and Vegeta looked excited at the prospect. _Some things never change._

"Looks like the other fighters have already drawn." 18 observed.

1\. Krillin vs. Pintar

2\. Piccolo vs. Shin

3\. Videl vs. Spopovich

4\. Gohan vs. Kibito

5\. Mr. Satan vs. Android 18

6\. Jewel vs. Yamu

7\. Mighty Mask vs. Killa

8\. Goku vs. Vegeta

"Who in the world calls themselves 'Mighty Mask'?" Gohan asked incredulously. Videl snickered into her hand. Despite the odd things she had seen and heard that day, she couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know but I have the same question for 'Killa'." The teens both laughed at that as the group made its way towards the waiting area room near the ring.

"It definitely looks different from the last time I fought here." Goku observed as he looked past the opening that led to the ring itself. "It is a lot bigger than before not to mention how commercialized it is. It doesn't even seem like it's about fighting as much as it is about putting on a show." He observed sadly.

"You know Kakarot, you scare me when you say something intelligent. This whole thing has been a disgrace so far." Vegeta observed. Videl simply frowned. They sounded oddly dismissive of the tournament and the fighters in it which irritated her, but she had a more important question. _Why does he keep calling Gohan's dad 'Kakarot'? What does that even mean?_

Finally, the announcer announced the first fight. Krillin stretched and made his way out as his name was called. He hopped into the ring and faced off against the fighter called Pintar. "This shouldn't take long." Krillin murmured. The announcer had barely said fight when Pintar raced at Krillin who merely batted him out of the ring without any effort. "A-and the winner is Krillin!" The announcer said excitedly. _Finally! I knew I recognized Krillin and Goku! This is going to be great!_

The next fight to be announced was Piccolo and Shin. Shin tried to force Piccolo to surrender but the warrior shrugged off his mental assault and the physical fight was on. "You're not nearly as strong as you should be Supreme Kai." Piccolo said lowly as they grappled.

"A conversation for another time Kami." Shin grit out.

"Former Kami actually." The fight didn't last long after that and Piccolo quickly claimed victory via ring out. As Piccolo made his way to the waiting area, he was met face to face with Kibito. "How dare you show such disrespect."

Piccolo was unfazed. "This is a tournament. A competition. I won't be bullied out of it."

The assistant growled in irritation. "You don't know the peril that you put our mission in!"

Piccolo merely grinned. "Get past Gohan and maybe we can talk about it."

The next fight was Videl vs Spopovich which Gohan had a very bad feeling about. As the two met in the ring, Gohan felt out Videl's opponent. "There is a lot of dark energy around him." Gohan stated seriously. Piccolo nodded. "I feel it as well. Your friend needs to be careful and get this over with as quickly as possible." Gohan could only nod.

To her credit, Videl certainly tried to end it quickly. But no matter how hard she hit, Spopovich always recovered with the same manic grin on his face that made her blood run cold. _What the hell am I up against?_ At this point, Spopovich decided to take control. He brushed Videl's defenses aside and began to pummel the poor girl. After a few minutes, Spopovich had her beaten. She struggled to get up, winced at the broken ribs she had sustained when the monster's foot crashed down on her head, bringing black spots before her and causing her to cry out in pain. Gohan had had enough. The demi Saiyan could feel his blood boiling as he made his way forward. His fists were clenched and his face set into that of a feral snarl. A hand closed on his shoulder, holding him back. "No Gohan. Not yet." Gohna looked back at his father who was looking at Spopovich with a hard expression on his face. "You'll get your chance son." Gohan merely nodded and looked on, glaring at Spopovich who met his eyes and blanched at the look. Instead of black, he met eyes of teal that looked at him with sheer hatred. _That must be the one Master Babadi seeks._ With a grin, he took his foot off of Videl and used it to shove her out of the ring. Videl had barely touched the ground before Gohan scooped her up, sparing one last glare towards the monster, he then hurried her to the medic area. Krillin met him in the back with a sensu bean. "I'll set her right Gohan, your fight is next."

With a nod, Gohan spared the poor girl one last look and made his way to the ring where a scowling Kibito awaited with an odd request. "I want you to turn Super Saiyan." Gohan was baffled for a moment before he responded. "No." And then he proceeded to handle Kibito as if he were a child, knocking him out of the ring with ease.

Videl had barely gotten back in time, still amazed at how good she felt, to see Gohan toss Kibito out. He didn't look the least bit tired. Gohan turned his glare to Spopovich who merely grinned at him. His father's words came back to him then. _Not yet._ "Not yet Spopovich. But I will make you pay." Gohan's voice was threatening and made Yamu's neck hair stand on end as the teen walked back to the waiting area. "Be careful with him Spopovich. He's dangerous." Spopovich merely grinned wider.

The next fight up was 18 vs Hercule. 18 rolled her eyes at the antics of the 'Champ' as she made her way nonchalantly to the ring. "Yeah! The Champ is here!" Hercule yelled. 18 closed her eyes. She couldn't wait to knock this idiot out of the ring. "Alright everybody! We have the champ Hercule and Miss 18!" The announcer said which drew confused stares at the blonde fighter.

"Uh-oh." Krillin murmured. He could almost feel the pain that Hercule was about to feel as the champ continued to boast in the ring.

"Ready? Fight!"

Hercule dropped into a stance as 18 just stood stock still, staring at the man. Hercule may have been grinning but on the inside, he was screaming. _Man, what have I gotten myself into?_ He swallowed his fear and rushed the woman, pulling his fist back, he threw his strongest punch, striking her right in the forehead. She didn't even move. There was no reaction, she continued to stare at him impassively. _Shit! Shit! Shit! Shi-_ His thoughts were cut off as 18 backhanded him halfway across the ring. Before Hercule could hit the ground, she was there and, with a kick, Hercule flew to the edge, landed just shy of falling out of the ring. The crowd was stunned into silence as Hercule struggled shakily to his feet. _The hell was that?!_ He stared at 18, scared out of his mind before he recovered his composure. He had to give his fans a show. "Yeah! HA HA! That was a good shot, but I just tripped!"

18's eye began to twitch in irritation as Videl sweat dropped and facepalmed. Krillin looked at her confused. Videl shook her head at him. "I don't see how anyone will believe that. It's obvious your wife is about to end this. There was no trip in that."

Krillin grinned. "You know, you're not like your dad at all. I won't lie, I was expecting you to act like him but you're way easier to be around. I can see why Gohan likes you."

Videl felt the blush come to her cheeks. "I don't like my dad's antics. He is my dad but I don't mind admitting when he's beat."

In the ring, 18 glared at Hercule. His antics were seriously pissing her off. She clenched her fist as she began to stalk towards her opponent who was still blustering in the ring, drawing cheers from the crowd. Hercule turned to find himself face to face with a very pissed off 18. He stumbled back in fright and then he really did trip, right out of the ring! There was a stunned silence before the announcer, who had been struggling to contain his laughter, was finally able to announce 18 the winner by ring out.

There was silence throughout the arena. The audience sat staring in shock, their mouths gaping open. 18 stared for a moment before she regained her composure and turned in a huff and stalked off of the stage. Hercule himself sat on the ground and stared on in shock. Videl, similarly, stared in shock at the screen showing her father sat on the ground, gob smacked. Finally, she put her head in her hands and tried to keep from laughing. Her father's antics had finally come back to bite him.

Vegeta refused to hold it in. He started laughing loudly, one hand holding his gut and the other holding his head as his body shook with laughter. Gohan and Goku fought the smirks that threatened to come on their faces as Krillin fought his on grin. Piccolo simply closed his eyes in irritation, ready to get to the next fight. As Hercule was helped to the back, 18 made her way to them, sparing her husband a look. "I hope you don't think I'll go easy on you dear."

"I expect nothing less." Krillin grinned at his wife.

The fight of Mighty Mask and Killa lasted several minutes as both humans fought to get an edge in their fight before Mighty Mask tripped over his cape which allowed Killa to knock him out of the ring. Jewel lasted all of 90 seconds against Yamu, holding the same dark energy as Spopovich.

Finally, the fight they had been waiting for, Goku and Vegeta made their way to the ring, the air around them thick with energy and tension. They both had smirks on their faces as they faced each other. The announcer had to hold back his excitement. He remembered the news about Vegeta when he and Nappa first landed on Earth so he was looking forward to the fight that was ahead. The announcer cleared his throat and began to address the crowd while Goku and Vegeta held each other's gaze. "It's now time for the final fight of the first round!" The crowd cheered wildly. Regardless of what happened here, a new champ would be crowned. "On one side, we have former World Martial Arts Tournament champion, Son Goku!" Videl's mouth dropped.

"What is it Videl?" Gohan asked amusedly.

"I-I knew your dad looked familiar! I've seen old tapes of some of his fights!" Videl exclaimed excitedly. It wasn't every day you get to see a living legend in action. Although her dad had spent plenty of time degrading Goku and his fighting style, she still used to watch the old tapes when she could. Now she knew for certain it was all real, she was beginning to wonder if her dad had lied to her about everything, including Cell.

"And on the other side, we have his opponent, a new fighter on the World Martial Arts scene, Vegeta!" The crowd screamed in readiness for the fight, not knowing nor suspecting the spectacle they were about to witness. "Are you ready?" The announcer asked Goku, who nodded. "Are you ready?" He asked Vegeta who nodded. Both fighters dropped into a stance. "Then fight!" The announcer brought his arm down to signal the start of the match before jumping out of the ring quickly.

Vegeta and Goku starred hard at one another, both in their stances. "Are you truly ready for this Kakarot?" Vegeta asked seriously, his body coiled tight like a spring.

"You bet I am! I've been looking forward to this!" Goku replied. Vegeta's only response was a grin before both fighters rushed at each other. It was truly on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ!**

The clash of the titans had officially begun! When Goku and Vegeta met in the middle of the ring, the resounding boom shook the entire arena as rocks and stones began to lift into the air from the outburst of energy that the two fighters were putting out. They had both previously agreed that this would be a contest of skill only and power would not necessarily be a factor. In other words, they both agreed to not destroy the arena and stay in their base forms to start with. Of course, many plans fail in the execution step and the two battle hardened warriors could not help but flex their power a bit as one tried to overcome the other. Vegeta had been training, hard and nearly nonstop for the last seven years and it certainly showed! Spending 18 hours a day in the gravity chamber helped his speed to the point that Goku had a difficult time tracking his movements at first. He bounced from point to point, hitting Goku on one side and then disappearing, only to reappear elsewhere. He had also gotten much stronger, owing to his extensive training in the gravity chamber. Goku grit his teeth as his bones creaked under the merciless blows that Vegeta rained down upon him.

But Goku had also been training. For the last seven years, he had trained with some of the greatest warriors to have ever lived! At first, he had simply trained with King Kai. Then, after King Kai had been able to have a new planet, he branched out his training. Then, King Kai had suggested with training with some of the other warriors. Though many of those warriors had not been as strong as him, there were a few that could give him a good fight. That along with going to HFIL to beat back the dissenting in habitants every once in a while, had only helped him to get stronger. At some point however, he had surpassed even the strongest warrior and the vilest of villains. He had trained and gotten as strong as he could. _It'll have to be enough for this fight._ Goku thought with a grin.

Vegeta grit his teeth and braced himself as Goku tried to use his superior height to push Vegeta back. But Vegeta, being height challenged from birth, had long since learned how to combat the advantage many taller fighters had over him. He dropped to the ground for a leg sweep which Goku leapt over only for Vegeta to bring both legs up to catch Goku under the chin with a double legged kick, sending the Earth raised Saiyan into the air with Vegeta close behind him. Goku was able to quickly recover and both fighters met in the air, their fists a blur of motion. The crowd was speechless as the announcer did his best to narrate the fight. Videl glanced around her to see the other fighters, arms crossed, easily following the movements of the combatants with their eyes as they bounced from place to place.

In the midst of the fighting, Vegeta grit his teeth as he blocked another strike from Goku and threw one of his own, which Goku also blocked. _He's definitely gotten stronger since he's been dead._ At the same time, Goku was having similar thoughts. _Man, Vegeta has gotten a lot stronger than he was before! He must've been training near constantly for the last seven years!_ Eventually, after several minutes of what seemed to be a stalemate, the two fighters separated and appeared on opposite sides of the ring, staring at each other. Vegeta allowed a smile to appear on his face. "Looks like we're pretty even in our base forms. Are you done warming up yet Kakarot?" Goku had a similar smile on his face. With a nod, that smile disappeared as his powered up to Super Saiyan. With a feral grin, Vegeta joined him and then they leapt at each other with a yell.

Meanwhile, Gohan facepalmed as Videl looked flabbergasted by the scene before her. _I thought we were going to avoid Super Saiyan._ Gohan thought irritably as Videl looked at him questioningly. Gohan steadfastly ignored her look and kept his attention on the fight. Every blow that landed, landed with concussive force creating waves of energy that reverberated throughout the stadium. They stayed in the sky fighting, moving so fast most of the spectators were unable to follow their movements. Eventually, the two figures plowed into the ground, Vegeta coming out on top, a feral grin on his face as he bound back into the air, preparing a light ki attack to fire at his opponent.

Down on the ground, Videl stared in absolute shock at what she saw before her. "E-everything I've ever been told…i-it's been a lie!" _There is no way Dad could have been telling the truth about what happened that day against Cell! And if Gohan's dad is capable of this, then what is Gohan capable of?_ She turned and stared at Gohan who's attention was stuck on the fight in front of him, an intense look on his face. _That would explain every oddity that I've noticed about Gohan since I met him! But why lie about it?_ After a thought, the answer came to her and she shook her head. _I'd have never believed him._ But she couldn't let him all the way off the hook. "Hey Gohan!" The boy blinked, surprised as he nervously turned to face her. "Yes?"

"We ARE going to talk later right?" Videl asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I suppose that is a little overdue."

"Well, OUR talk isn't too overdue because I don't know if I'd have believed you before seeing this, but the talk I'm going to have with my dad is very much overdue."

Gohan smiled a little. "Well, I almost feel sorry for him."

Videl shrugged. "If he hadn't had lied all these years, not just to me, but to everyone, then I wouldn't be feeling like my entire life was a lie." Videl sounded bitter. Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The thing is, I didn't want the credit for what I had done. I had just lost my dad and he had decided to not come back so I didn't want anything to do with it. It sounds irresponsible but I was just a boy at the time."

Videl shook her head. "I know you're right Gohan, but I hate that he lied to me, his own daughter, all these years. I get not wanting to look like a failure in front of me, but to lie about something like that? He and I are going to have a long talk once this is over." Gohan could only nod as they returned their attention to the fight.

Goku was in the middle of a comeback. For a good bit of the fight thus far, he had been on his back foot. _Vegeta has definitely gotten stronger! I haven't worked this hard in a fight in a long time!_ But Goku was beginning to turn things around. Vegeta was an expert fighter, but the Saiyan style was more about power than ability. In ability, Goku was an expert martial artist with a lifetime of experience and training. Vegeta's moves were beginning to get predictable and Goku was starting to block hits that would have struck him earlier in the fight. Vegeta, seeing the turnaround, snarled in anger as the ferocity of his moves increased. _I will NOT be bested by this low-class clown again!_

With a snarl, Vegeta leapt back and began building his energy. With a snarl of rage, his power leapt higher and sparks of lightening began to strike the ground around him. His hair spiked slightly higher as he ascended into Super Saiyan 2. He smirked as he powered towards his foe who copied Vegeta and jumped straight into the ascended super Saiyan state, following that up with a leap to get out of Vegeta's way. With a snarl, Vegeta turned sharp and followed his rival into the air and the fight began again in earnest.

Gohan frowned as he watched the two battle in the air. Vegeta was trying to hide it, but he wasn't fighting with the hate and the anger that he normally would have fought with. Gohan had a sneaking suspicion that the Prince of all Saiyans had mellowed a bit over the last seven years. As strong as Vegeta was, he had come to care about the family that he had built with Bulma. His dad was a different story. There was a part of Gohan that was slightly hurt that Goku had not come back, choosing instead to remain in Otherworld to train. But that was who his dad was and had always been. Goku loved his family and would die to protect them, but he loved training and fighting to the point that it was the first thing he thought about in any given situation. Gohan was unsure that Goku would have come back at all if not for the tournament. While that realization did sting, Gohan understood that it was his dad's nature just as it was Vegeta's. It wasn't something they could help. Gohan himself felt it to a degree. While he had been training, Gohan had felt that desire for a good fight more than he ever had before. But he knew better than to shy away from his nature. He was a Saiyan and a human and he would embrace both aspects of himself from now on.

Goku was having a lot of fun, more fun than he had ever had in otherworld. He had looked forward to this fight from the beginning, as he and Vegeta had always had a strong rivalry so he knew that this fight would be fun. He blocked another punch from Vegeta and threw his own only for it to be blocked. Goku smiled, they were even as far as their power. He knew that if he ascended to Super Saiyan 3, he'd win. However, he knew that it didn't make any sense in this moment to expend the energy to do that. The possibility of destroying the city, if not the planet, was high since he had yet to master the transformation. He didn't want that to happen so he had long decided he wouldn't go past Super Saiyan 2. _It's more fun this way anyway!_ Goku grinned as the fight continued.

Vegeta, while frustrated that the fight was not going his way anymore, could grudgingly accept that he was having fun. _Heh, it's not like Kakarot has ever actually beaten me before._ Vegeta swung and connected with Goku's jaw, sending him flying but Goku caught himself just before he could fly out of the ring. _Time to end this._ As much fun as he was having with Vegeta, Goku really wanted to test Gohan. He knew that Vegeta would not be happy with a ring out, so Goku knew the only proper way to end this fight was to knock Vegeta out. While the loss would irritate Vegeta, Goku knew that he would accept that far easier than he would accept a ring out and it was how Goku himself would prefer to lose. With a smirk, Goku set himself and launched a barrage of attacks at Vegeta, most of which were blocked or deflected. Goku kept this up for a time, waiting for Vegeta to make a move. Finally, Vegeta went low. Expecting this, Goku leapt above and landed a vicious chop at the base of Vegeta's skull. Vegeta fell to the ground, forming a crater upon landing. Goku landed not far away from the crater and waited while the announcer counted. At the nine count he saw Vegeta stir and attempt to rise but due to the blow, Vegeta was still woozy and was unable to maintain his balance and collapsed, dropping back to his base form as the announcer called Goku the winner.

Gohan smiled at the results, knowing that this meant that he would finally get to face his father one on one to prove who was the strongest, to prove that had indeed surpassed his father.

Vegeta slowly got to his feet, a scowl on his face. "That was a lucky shot Kakarot!"

"Yeah it was." Goku said with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe after this is done, we can have a real fight!"

Vegeta grunted and narrowed his eyes. "You better not run off until we've had our fight. Your fight with Gohan better be worth it!" He turned and walked back to nurse his wounded pride.

Goku smiled at his rival. "I know it will be." He could sense Gohan's power, though Gohan was doing a great job at hiding his power level, Goku had begun to get a sense at how massive it was during Videl's fight. Goku was sure that Gohan was at least as powerful as he was before, more powerful even. While he had been disappointed to learn that Gohan had not kept up his training over the last seven years, he understood that Chi-Chi would've had a hand in that,making sure that Gohan stayed in his books as much as possible. But it seemed that now that Gohan was older, she was letting him make more of his own decisions. He was certainly pleased that she was more lenient on Goten at least. It seemed that Gohan's last run in with Broly had really done the trick!

Goku made his way back to where the others were, accepting a sensu bean from Krillin as he eagerly waited for the next fight to begin.

The announcer made his way to the center of the damaged ring. "All right everyone was that exciting or what?!" The crowd yelled their affirmative at him, making his grin go even wider. "Excellent now, before we start the next round, we are going to take an hour break to try to fix the ring a bit as well as to give our fighters a break. Feel free to wander around a bit and check out some of our vendors! But remember, one hour and the excitement starts again!" The crowd cheered as it began to disperse.

"Wow Goku, what a fight!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Thanks, Krillin!" Goku answered with a smile. "Hey, where'd Vegeta go?"

"Oh, he took the sensu bean I offered him and went off somewhere to sulk a bit."

Goku smiled fondly at that as he spotted Vegeta in the corner of the room, eyes closed and arms crossed where he sat. He had missed Vegeta's stubborn pride. Helooked over at Videl, who stared at him in awe. "So, what did you think Videl?"

Videl blinked and the wide smile came onto her face. "It was incredible! That was the best fight that I've ever seen!"

Goku grinned. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Is Gohan training you?"

She nodded. "Yes, he is. He taught me how to access my ki, I even learned how to fly!"

Goku was impressed. It had taken him well into his adulthood to learn how to fly. "That's pretty impressive!"

Vegeta watched the exchange with seeming indifference though his mind was another matter. _To be that buffoon's daughter, she isn't nearly as incompetent nor as arrogant as he is. Indeed, she is quite strong willed._ Vegeta snorted quietly at that. _Of course, the boy would be interested in someone so strong willed. It's his Saiyan blood._ Vegeta sighed internally. _I should make an effort to teach the boy more about our customs. Perhaps explaining more about his Saiyan heritage will answer a few questions._ He vaguely remembered Gohan asking questions about the Saiyans over the last several years only to rebuffed by Vegeta. Vegeta sighed, regret rippling through him. _We are the last of our kind. They both should know about our race._ Though Vegeta had been young when Frieza had taken him, he still remembered the lessons that his father had drilled into him as a boy. Saiyans did not have surnames. It was why when Bulma had insisted on marriage, a concept that was alien to the Saiyans who mated with a single female and left it at that, he had been willing to take her last name. He had understood that the ceremony was important to Bulma so he had made that small sacrifice. He internally made his decision. After the tournament, and after his fight with Kakarot, he would sit them all down, Kakarot, Gohan, Goten, and of course Trunks, and give them a brief history about their race and the customs that went with it. He found, oddly enough, that he was even looking forward to it. He even caught himself thinking up the structure of these lessons.

Vegeta shook his head quickly. There was still a tournament to focus on. He glanced at the Supreme Kai and his minion, who stood off from the others, arms crossed. There was something strange going on here and he'd like to know what and how it involved them. Vegeta nearly snarled. If it came in between them and Vegeta's lessons he'd wring their necks. _Unless a good fight is involved. I'll certainly make an exception for that!_ At that thought, he smirked and then got up to follow the others for a snack. It would do no good to fight a threat to the planet on an empty stomach. He glanced at Piccolo, who met his eyes and then nodded. Good, they were on the same page about the possible threat. He then looked at the others who were blissfully unaware of the thought that had passed between Vegeta and Piccolo which made Vegeta roll his eyes as he followed them.

The Supreme Kai watched the others leave with a frown. "Master, what will we do?"

The Kai looked at Kibito. "We shall let the events play out as they will. I was certain that Gohan would do as you asked and then we could be on our way, but for some reason, he seems surer of himself. I'm not sure what has brought this change about but fate has seen fit to throw us this curve, so we shall meet it and go where it takes us. Perhaps this is the better way forward."

Kibito looked unsure. "What about Majin Buu? And Babidi? They will not wait forever."

"No, I don't think they will. But they will not make their move until their slaves do. Once that happens, we'll follow them back to their base of operations and then we will strike. Hopefully, we can stop Buu from being awoken at all, and avert possible intergalactic disaster!" The Kai exclaimed quietly to his servant, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to their conversation. The humans were blissfully ignorant of the threat that existed and he hoped to keep it that way if possible. These powerful earthlings were the only ones who could assist them in this. _I only pray that we are not too late. If Buu wakes up, we may all be doomed!_

 **Man, that took longer than expected! I am sorry about that but life has been busy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter enough to leave a review and let me know what you think!**


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